Make plans to attend a magical evening filled with fine food, delightful company, and heartfelt tributes to two individuals who have inspired us all. This year at NCKP, we honor the contributions of Ingrid Clarfield and Dennis Alexander. Tickets are $100, of which $25 is a tax-deductible contribution to the NCKP Scholarship Fund. Advanced purchase is required. The banquet will take place on Friday, July 31. It will include a reception at 6:00pm and dinner at 6:30pm. Evening concert given by Sean Chen, 2015 Conference Artist, to follow.

Ingrid Jacobson Clarfield, nationally recognized teacher, clinician, pianist, and author is Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Piano Department at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. She has directed Westminster Choir College's Piano Week for High School Students since 1984.

Ms. Clarfield has given lecture-recitals, workshops and master classes in more than a hundred cities across North America, including many presentations at state and national conferences of The Music Teachers National Association. She has presented numerous master classes and pedagogy sessions at the National Conference of Keyboard Pedagogy, the TCU/Van Cliburn Institute, the National Piano Teachers Institute, the Music Teachers Association of California, World Piano Pedagogy Conference, and the Calgary Arts Summer School in Alberta, Canada.

Clarfield's life is the subject of a new documentary full-length film TAKE A BOW, released in 2011. It tells her inspirational life story depicting her tenacious fight back to teaching after a devastating stroke that occurred in 2007. She is also honored to have received recognition from her peers in music education. In 2009 she was the first recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award from the New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA). In 2012 she was named the prestigious "Teacher of the Year" by the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA.)

Since his affiliation with Alfred Publishing Company in 1986 as a composer and clinician, Dennis Alexander has earned an international reputation as one of North America's most prolific and popular composers of educational piano music for students at all levels. Professor Alexander retired from his position at the University of Montana in May 1996 where he taught piano and piano pedagogy for 24 years. Upon moving to California, he taught privately in addition to serving on the faculties of Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge. He currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he maintains an active composing and touring schedule for Alfred Publishing Company.

Professor Alexander is a native Kansan, having graduated from the University of Kansas where he was a student of Richard Reber. In 1972, he was invited to join the faculty at the University of Montana and served as piano department chair in addition to his teaching duties in applied piano, class piano and piano pedagogy. In 1987, he made his New York debut at Carnegie Recital Hall with violinist Walter Olivares and continues to be active as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. He has served as a collaborative artist for numerous internationally recognized soloists, instrumentalists, and chamber groups. A former president of the Montana State Music Teachers Association, he is a popular clinician at state and national music teachers conventions. In 2009, he was invited by MTNA to conduct the intermediate level master class at their national convention in Atlanta. In 2014, Professor Alexander was invited to judge a national piano competition in India called “Musiquest” and has toured twice to the far East where he performed recitals and workshops in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea.

Over the years, numerous organizations and state associations have commissioned him to write compositions. His "Concertante in G Major" was commissioned by the Montana Music Teachers organization for their state convention, and his 2-piano work, "Fanfare Toccata Rondo" was commissioned by Goshen College. Many of his compositions are included in the National Federation of Music Study Clubs Festival required list and his music is being performed by students throughout the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe. One of Mr. Alexander's most significant contributions to the repertoire is "24 Character Preludes" in all major and minor keys which includes a CD with Dennis Alexander as soloist. He is also a co-author of an exciting and innovative piano method entitled "Alfred's Premier Piano Course". His latest collections, called "Just for Two” were recently released and consist of 4 collections of one piano/4 hand repertoire. Each book consists of duet arrangements of the most popular pieces from his “Just for You” series, a best seller. MTNA commissioned him to compose a chamber music work for piano, violin, and cello entitled “Dance Suite” and this work was premiered at the 2013 national conference in Anaheim, California.

Mr. Alexander’s personal website (www.dennisalexander.com) has become a favorite with piano teachers and features recordings, videos, teaching tips, and more! The “Dennis Alexander Piano Competition”, sponsored by the New Mexico School of Music, is an annual event in Albuquerque open to students from the age of 7 through 15.